Your Stay With Us

Your admission to our hospital has been arranged by your physician. While you are with us, we will strive in every way to make your stay as comfortable as possible.

Room Assignment
Every effort will be made to assign you to the type of room requested. Because some patients may have special needs, it is essential that the hospital be flexible in its use of all rooms. Therefore, the hospital reserves the right to assign or transfer you to any room within the hospital, making such changes only when necessary to meet patients' needs.

Internet Access

Washington Health System Washington Hospital provides free, high-speed Internet access in patient rooms, the coffee shop and all common areas. The service is provided by Wayport and connection is simple.

Connection Tips:

Getting started is as easy as 1-2-3.

Start with your notebook computer or Wi-Fi enabled device turned off.

Turn your device on and launch your Web browser.

You should see the Welcome Page.* Follow the instructions to connect, and, within seconds, you can be online.

*If you do not see the Welcome Page, you may need to select “Wayport_Access” as your wireless network.

For technical support, call: 888-304-9131.

Telephones
Telephone service is available for your convenience for a nominal daily fee. Because your insurance does not cover telephone charges, you will pay the television hostess, who visits the patient units, or your nurse. All patients can receive calls from 7:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. The switchboard has available pocket amplifiers or amplified receivers, TDD machines for the deaf, and audio cassette recorders for the blind. Contact your nurse to make arrangements for securing any of the above equipment. The daily nominal fee covers unlimited local calls only. You must use your cell phone or personal phone calling card to make toll or long distance calls. If you do not have a calling card, they are available for purchase in the hospital gift shop or from the hospitality snack cart. You may not bill calls to your hospital room. Cellular phones are permissible to be used by you or your family. The cell phone must be in "silent" mode between 9:30 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. The hospital reserves the right to restrict cell phone usage in certain circumstances.

Television, Radios, and Appliances
A color television equipped with remote control, basic cable stations, and radio service is available in every patient room. Television is provided at a nominal charge. You may pay the television hostess, who visits the patient units, or your nurse. Payment may also be made at the Cashier's Office. If you have any questions regarding use of the television, call the television hostess at ext. 3298. Standard home television sets do not meet hospital safety requirements. You are not permitted, therefore, to bring a television set from home to the hospital.
Patient education programs are free and are scheduled on Channel 67 of your hospital
television. Easy listening radio music is available on Channel 13 at no charge. Battery-powered devices, such as radios, laptop computers, cassette tape players, and compact disc players, may be used at the discretion of the nurse in charge. Patient-furnished extension cords, electric heating pads and blankets, space heaters, curling irons, coffee makers, and radio transmitters of any type are prohibited. Other small electrical appliances may be used with the approval of the nurse in charge.

Medications
If you bring medications to the hospital, please show them to your nurse so that they can be noted on your chart. After the nurse has recorded this information, a family member or friend should take the drugs or medications home for you. Your physician will determine and prescribe your medications during your hospital stay.

Nutritional Services
According to the diet your doctor prescribes, you will receive a menu from which you can choose your meals. Consultations with a dietitian are available if you desire diet education or have any questions regarding nutrition. Meal service usually begins at the times listed below. They vary somewhat from unit
to unit.

Breakfast: 7:30 a.m.

Lunch: 11:30 a.m.

Dinner: 4:30 p.m.

If you know a friend or family member will be visiting you at mealtime, you may order a guest tray for a fee. You may order a gourmet meal for yourself and/or a guest for an additional charge.

Valuables, Lenses, Eyeglasses, Dentures, Hearing Aids
If you wear contact lenses or eyeglasses, dentures, or a hearing aid, they should be placed in protective containers in your bedside stand when not being used. The hospital is not responsible for lost or damaged personal items and we encourage you not to place personal items on your bed, over-the-bed tables, window sills, or on your food tray. Valuables, such as jewelry and cash, should not be brought to the hospital. If
you have valuables with you, we encourage you to send them home with a relative or friend. If this is not possible, the hospital safe may be used to store your valuables. Washington Health System Washington Hospital assumes no responsibility for loss of or damage to items or cash left in your room. Ask your nurse for details.

Flowers, Mail, Newspapers/Magazines
If you receive flowers or plants, hospital volunteers will deliver them to your room. We request that no flowers be sent to patients in the Critical Care Unit (CCU). Behavioral Health Unit patients (3A) may receive flowers in plastic containers. All other patients are permitted to receive flowers. You can purchase fresh flowers and plants in the Hospitality Shop on the hospital's second floor. You may purchase newspapers or magazines from the Hospitality Shop on the second floor or from volunteers who make daily rounds with the Hospitality Cart. Mail will be distributed daily. Your friends and relatives should address mail to you in the following manner:

If you are sending mail, stamps may be purchased by a visitor at the Hospitality Shop or you may purchase them from volunteers with the Hospitality Cart. Letters may be deposited in a mailbox in the main lobby or given to one of our staff members to mail.

Hospitality Cart
Beverages, candy, magazines, toilet articles, stamps, and other gift items may be purchased from the Hospitality Cart. Hospital volunteers bring the cart to all patient units between 1:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. every day except Sundays.

Smoking
The hospital is a smoke-free environment. Employees, patients, and visitors are not permitted to smoke in the hospital. Visitors must go outside if they wish to smoke. These guidelines reflect the current knowledge of the health effects of smoking and have been implemented for the good health of all and in conjunction with regulatory standards.

On Oct. 3, 2011, Washington Health System Washington Hospital will become completely tobacco-free, both indoors and outdoors, for all properties and facilities. This includes our parking areas and the vehicles parked there. This ban covers all tobacco products, including chewing tobacco, and extends to everyone—employees, patients, visitors, physicians, students, volunteers and vendors. For more information please visit our tobacco free section.

Pastoral Care
Pastoral Care is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The director of Pastoral Care works in conjunction with The Greater Washington Ministerium, Catholic priests, and Eucharistic ministers. Chaplains can be contacted by calling the operator at 724-225-7000 or “0 ” in the hospital.

Hospitality Shop
The Hospitality Shop is located on the second floor just off the main lobby. The shop is staffed by volunteers who are members of the hospital's Auxiliary. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and Sunday, 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The Hospitality Shop sells a variety of items, including candy,
infant's apparel, gifts, flowers, greeting cards, and magazines.

Coffee Shop
The Coffee Shop is next to the Hospitality Shop and sells breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack items. The Coffee Shop offers a variety of low cholesterol and fat-free foods upon request. The shop is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Lost and Found
The Safety and Security Department maintains a lost and found service. It will hold lost items up to three months. If you have lost something, please call ext. 3289. If there is no answer, call the main number at
724-225-7000.

Public Telephones and Restrooms
Pay phones and restrooms are located on every floor as well as in the main lobby and in the Emergency Department on the first floor.